A football match lasts 90 minutes of playing time, but the real duration is longer once half-time, added time and, in knock-out games, extra time are included.
Two halves of 45 minutes
The Laws of the Game set two equal halves of 45 minutes. Competitions can agree shorter halves for youth football. Half-time must not last longer than 15 minutes.
Added time
The referee adds time at the end of each half for time lost to substitutions, injuries, goal celebrations, VAR checks, cooling breaks and time-wasting. The fourth official shows the minimum added time on a board. Since the 2022 World Cup, referees have been encouraged to add the full amount of time actually lost, which is why seven or more minutes of added time are now common.
Extra time
If a knock-out match must have a winner and is level after 90 minutes, competitions may play two halves of 15 minutes of extra time. If it is still level, the match goes to a penalty shoot-out. Some competitions skip extra time and go straight to penalties.
Golden goal and silver goal
From the 1990s to 2004, some tournaments used the golden goal: the first goal in extra time ended the match immediately. The 1998 and 2002 World Cups used it. A "silver goal" variant, where the match ended if a team led after the first half of extra time, was briefly used in 2003 and 2004. Both were abandoned because teams became too cautious.
How long does a match really take?
Including half-time and added time, a typical match takes about 1 hour 50 minutes from kick-off to final whistle. A match with extra time and penalties can last more than two and a half hours.
Why the effective playing time matters
The ball is actually in play for only around 55 to 60 minutes of a typical match. Stoppages for throw-ins, free kicks and substitutions explain the difference, and recent rule changes aim to increase effective playing time.